


Lovers' Dictionary

by JLBRD



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ocean's 8 (2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-08-24 08:32:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16636496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JLBRD/pseuds/JLBRD
Summary: vomit-fest of A-Z prompts related to my two pairings because i am trash for them in different languages*inspired by David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary*





	1. Deb/Lou

**Author's Note:**

> pls correct me if a word's translation is wrong!! this has been a fun learning experience (still is) and it'll be much appreciated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> アレルギ ー Arerugī (Allergy)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lou's POV

A tiny _meow_ comes along with a purr that’s quickly becoming familiar.

Your eyes water, and you sneeze for what seems like the hundredth time within the hour.

And yet you persist in your endeavour.

 

The cat lays across your lap; content, blinking slowly, not knowing the distress her fur is causing your body.

(Or maybe she does. The feline family doesn’t have a particular reputation for gauging human happiness.)

 

_“It’s fine,” you insist. “She was too cute to abandon, Lou.”_

 

A sigh of resignation comes. I do those a lot when it comes to you. It’s also a sigh of dread, knowing what we’d have to do with the cat, and knowing how sad and annoying you will be about it for a while.

Who even knew that you’d be fond of them?

 

_“Hey, uh, remember when you said you didn't like pussy?"_

_"Yeah, well, you're just that good, I guess."_

 

The house has one less cat the next day, but you breathe easier.


	2. Crossover (sort of.) Maria/Nat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Besitz (Possession, To Own)  
> Beschützen (To Protect)

“Liho, ‘the embodiment of evil’?”

“Yes, it’s perfect.”

They watch for a while as the newcomer settles comfortably, as if she’s been there the whole time.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you sound… almost proud. Giddy. Should I be scared?” Apprehension clear as day on the Deputy Director's face.  _As if she needed more cause for splitting headaches._

“Pre-emptively, but absolutely. Think of the potential – I’m sure she’ll attack anyone that’s not us. Stark, Sam, Rhodes, Clint, Stark over and again, Rogers, Thor. Oh! Thor’s reaction will be priceless.”

“’This creature is your companion? Get ‘er away from me. Her claws wound me,’” comes Maria’s _horrible_ impression of the god, hands held to her chest dramatically.

 

(Famous last words of someone who has to cut a demon’s nails. Maybe they’ll ask T’Challa for some advice.)


	3. Crossover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bacio, Basium, Beso, Bise (Kiss)

“One more before we die?”

“You can get the kiss when we survive, so get that sweet ass in the car, please.”

“My, my. Is that a way to talk to a lady?”

“A lady. Where is she?” Comes the teasing tone.

 

Car chases always look way more fun on TV.

Debbie hates this. Lou loves it.

Natasha lives for this. So does Maria.

 

(Okay, so, Debbie covertly loves it, too – it runs in the family. Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping in her veins like illegal activities. Even if this is just speeding in pretty cars… after an already very illicit job. The more delinquency, the merrier the Ocean is.)

“We’ll race you there, fuckers,” Debbie says, getting behind the wheel, tapping her earpiece.

Eyebrows raise. _Well, well. Look who’s finally up for the thrill of it all._

“What? I can absolutely hate this and still be competitive about it,” she huffs defensively.

(Lady’s got a point.)

 

Both cars are off. Lou and Debbie are running from the night’s marks. Maria and Natasha happen to be in the neighbourhood…

 

...Only  _conveniently_ acting as backups in the shadows, should shit hit the fan. They  _are_ still law enforcers of sorts.

 

“Do we win anything?” Debbie asks.

Communication is made easier by Stark’s new comms.

Not to mention Stark’s ultra-quiet car engines.

Living with a bored billionaire isn’t so bad these days.

“You mean do _we_ win anything?” Hill’s hackles rising. “What do you have to offer?”

“If you workaholics can take some time off, feel free to jump off from your office and stay at the new house in Fiji. You get first dibs on christening it, I guess. Gross, but good offer, no?”

“We apologize for working too much, we just want to keep the cosmos in its current order.”

Natasha hums. Flashbacks too close to the surface for her liking.

“I’d bargain cool weapons, but I don’t think you’re interested. Still no violence, right?”

“Nope. What else you got?”

“Fun handcuffs?”

“Already got the latest design – Lou got out of them in 2 minutes.”

“That’s fast. How?”

“How’d she get out?”

“I mean, Maria just got them from R&D 3 days ago.”

“Mhmm. You’re dealing with thieves, remember?”

 

The taste of almost-there victory makes Maria’s entire body tingle – totally has nothing to do with Natasha’s roaming hands.

“Down, girl,” as she blindly swats a disrupting hand away. “I don’t know why we’re even discussing this. We’ll win anyway.”

Lou interjects for the first time. “Watch it,” pointing to a stray squirrel they have to swerve aside for. “I may want a jetpack.”

“Easy. All right, done.”

 

Days later, Debbie’s eyes are heavenward more than usual at Lou showing off on her new toy, masking the slight panic when the other woman gets too close to the edge.

 

Natasha watches from a nearby rooftop, just in case.

 _It’s rainy season in Fiji anyway_. _Distracting Maria? So worth it._

 


	4. Deb/Lou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 中年 Chuunen No (Middle-aged)

The physical manifestations

Of our memories,

Our pain,

Of our time co-existing,

Our choices,

Should not be detested.

 

You hate them,

But they remind me of the good old times

When life was simpler.

The lines by your mouth,

Along your nose where it crinkles

When you find something

Either repulsive or genuinely humorous.

 

Your refusal of glasses

Will never cease to be amusing.

The creak of my knees aren’t new;

I’ve always been reckless with my bikes.

I’m sure that my grumbling about my back

My feet, my hip,

Or the fact that my shoulders

Aren’t the only parts that sag

Will never cease to amuse you right back.


	5. Maria/Nat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 注射 Chuusha (Inject[ion])

I’m not sure when I started accommodating

Clothes strewn carelessly,

Books scattered haphazardly,

Tea paraphernalia coexisting

With the equipment that enable

My slight caffeine dependence.

 

But I’m also not sure

How else to live without

The lump in my bed

After I’ve been away,

The instinct to worry

When you’ve been away,

Pairs of shoes

Smaller and more colourful

Than my own,

My human-shaped

Pillow at night—

 

And I’m not keen to find out.


	6. Maria/Nat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimenticare (To Forget)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-Infinity War timeline.

The thing about good and bad memories is that they have a lot in common.

The journey is the same - an ordinary day comes, until your routine is altered by some sort of event:

 

  1. You experience said event.
  2. And then you get flashbacks for the rest of your life, be it an unexpected promotion, a friend’s childbirth, getting a new car. On the opposite side of the spectrum is getting fired, a friend’s miscarriage, or an idiot driver who causes a smidge more damage than a fender bender.
  3. Ultimately, no matter the category they fall under, they are hard to get rid of; they come back to haunt you, no matter how deeply you repress them.



 

For a brainwashed child assassin, there’s a lot to forget.

For an ex-Deputy Director who got wiped off the face of the earth, along with her memories, there’s a lot more to remember.

Thanos made sure she was physically lost, but she came back just as lost, if not more so.

 

Natasha's been reading up on what can get them out of their current dilemma.

Apparently, memories are difficult to recall _consciously_ , but with the aid of smell, a tidal wave of familiar associations will almost inevitably be triggered.

The human sense of smell stimulates the brain into remembering. A small whiff can unlock a part of the subconscious, an instantaneous chemical reaction.

 

Natasha's made it her mission to bring Maria back. Lucky for them both, the Black Widow never fails her missions.

 

Maria loves fresh coconut bread, and so Natasha's been bringing her to their favourite bakery. There is a half hour walk involved, but so worth the trek if it helps at all.

They don't talk much, but Natasha always smiles when Maria reaches for her hand during these walks, fingers wrapping tightly around hers.

(So worth the trek, indeed.)

 

Natasha never stopped using the same detergent she's been sharing with Maria since  _ever_.

 _“You smell like home,”_ Maria would say these days.

Natasha's lower lip trembles, but refuses to let the tears fall, lest they alarm Maria.

(She fails, but it's okay.)

 

They've only just started getting intimate again - Natasha too scared to push, and Maria... Well.

She's the reason they're on the couch, getting to know each other physically. Very thoroughly.

_“I know when you’re turned on; I always have. You never hid that well,” Maria says, making her way down Natasha's body. She inhales deeply, relishing in the redhead's reactions to her ministrations, letting out an appreciative groan. "I can smell you, Nat."_

_“I never bothered trying to hide, and I won't start now. Not with you.”_

_Both secretly relieved that this part of them will always, always be good._

 

But Maria's been doing some reading, too.

 

Another form of cognitive boost is musical therapy.

Natasha's laugh was always rare, she imagines.

But she'll never stop trying to make the woman laugh even if it doesn't help her remember. It's a sweet sound that's easy to bask in.

So are her little involuntary hums that change tones according to amusement or disapproval.

Her moans: those are important, and  _very_ hard to forget now that she's hearing them more frequently lately.

Cooing when Liho's being particularly cuddly.

The screams when she's angry - mostly directed at Barton. Or Stark.

 

These are some of the things that Maria's filing away now that she has to come back to her old life.

Having Natasha by her side means that a new life might not be so bad, though.


End file.
